Get ready for winter adventures—on an action-packed day of ice safety training. No experience needed!
If you go out on frozen lakes or rivers (or you’re thinking about it), this is a great way to get more comfortable and more prepared. On the 4.5 hour introductory workshop you’ll learn safety concepts.
Practice rescuing yourself and others—in the comfort of an insulated ‘immersion suit’ with good people nearby—and learn how to assess ice conditions.
This activity is built-for-COVID: it’s 100% outside with physical distancing throughout. Read about our COVID precautions
Your training will take place in a controlled setting on a lake, pond, or still river (NO fast current) with professional instructors.
Every group has a minimum of 2 instructors, and max 10 participants.
NOTE: This is a 1-day workshop. For international certification, you can join a 2-day Ice Safety and Rescue course
COVID safety
COVID Precautions
We built this program from the ground up with COVID in mind: it’s 100% outside; with physical distancing throughout; clean gear; and no need for group transport.
The specific training sites and equipment that we’ve chosen allow you to ‘self-rescue’—with your skilled instructors nearby to coach you along and help you if you need it—while maintaining physical distancing.
NOTE: If you need to cancel because of a reason related to COVID, or if we have to postpone because of COVID, you’ll get a full credit to repeat the program anytime in the next 18 months—or you can give the credit to a friend.
Pre-screening
Before your session, we’ll screen you as well as all of the other participants and instructors. Screening questions include:
- In the last 14 days, have you had close contact with an individual who has tested positive for COVID-19 or is presumptive positive for COVID-19?
- In the past 14 days, have you experienced:Fever over 37.8°C / 100°F? Persistent cough? A loss of smell or taste?
- In the past 14 days, have you experienced new or worsening flu-like symptoms?
If you screen ‘positive’, we’ll ask for further clarification, and we may ask that you get medical clearance before you can join the program
Upon arrival
When you arrive at the meeting location, your instructor or Boreal River staff will screen you independently for symptoms and risk factors.
We’ll have an area dedicated for this, away from the main meeting area.
Any participants who screen positive will be given a credit for a later date.
Transmission prevention
- The whole experience takes place outside
- We’ll maintain distancing between people at all times
- Please arrive wearing a mask
- For safety reasons, we won’t wear masks in the water, but we will maintain physical distancing (people in the same ‘pod’ other don’t need to distance)
- Please bring an extra mask in a case (such as a ziplock bag) and a small bottle of hand sanitizer on the ice
- No sharing snacks or supplies, unless it is with somebody you live with
- Please avoid touching your face (especially your eyes, nose, and mouth)
- If you need to sneeze or cough, cover your face with your upper arm
Learning outcomes
Have a fun, active day outside while you:
- Get hands-on practice with experienced instructors in a great learning environment
- Learn how to judge ice conditions and recognize hazards
- Learn and try out multiple ways to test ice thickness
- Practice rescuing yourself and rescuing others—with basic techniques and minimal equipment
- Understand what safety gear to bring out on winter excursions
- Grow your knowledge and experience—so you can make good decisions when you’re out on frozen lakes and rivers
Topics covered
Knowledge
- General concepts of ice safety and rescue
- How ice forms and thaws
- How to assess conditions
- What to do if you fall in
- What equipment to carry for different activities
- Signals and communications
- First aid topics: drowning and hypothermia
Skills
- Safe methods for approaching weak ice and testing thickness
- Self-rescue
- Rescuing other people with basic techniques
- Throw ropes
- Contact rescues
- Reaching tools and techniques
- Hauling people up and over the ice edge
- Rescue of panicked subjects
- Optional: self-rescue with no drysuit (just street clothes). You can opt into this at the very end of your session. You’ll wear a PFD (flotation device).
30 minutes online prep
Pre-workshop prep
Once you register, we’ll send you a link to our online platform.
You’ll complete 25 to 30 minutes of prep, including online learning and signing your waiver form.
You’ll also get access to optional additional learning resources.
Meeting times and schedule
We’ll provide you with an ‘InfoPack’ with specific meeting times and directions for your workshop.
- Typically hours are 10:00am to 3:00pm.
- Please arrive 15 minutes early (9:45am)
Your course will take place in a controlled setting on a lake, pond, or still river (NO fast current) with professional instructors.
Schedule
9:45am to 10am – Arrive
- Arrive and we’ll give you your ice immersion suit
10:00am to 10:30am – Suit up
- Change (at your vehicle)—your suit goes on top of base layers (which most people arrive already wearing)
- If we need to drive from the meeting spot to the training site (usually not necessary*), you’ll drive yourself.
*We generally meet right where we train—but depending on the city/town of your workshop and current conditions, we may drive a short distance to access the best learning ice.
10:30am to 3:00pm – Learn & practice
- Hands-on training! 4.5 hours of professional instruction
- Learn and practice in a fun, supportive environment
- Test the ice with different tools
- Practice self-rescues and rescuing others with minimal equipment
- We’ll finish things of with an optional ‘no-immersion suit self-rescue’—you’ll wear a PFD (flotation device) and your instructors will be close by
3:00pm – Goodbye
- Change
- Goodbyes
- Head home—feeling great after an active winter day outside—with new skills and knowledge for travelling on ice!
Equipment and clothing to bring
This is a general list of what to bring. Please refer to your InfoPack (which you’ll receive once you register) for a complete list specific to your workshop.
We’ll provide you with:
- Immersion suit — this insulated suit is waterproof and has built in flotation, gloves/mitts, and booties
- Rescue training gear (ropes, ice testing devices to try)
- Course safety equipment: first aid kit, communication device, rescue sled
Your packing list:
COVID safety
- Face masks (bring at least 2) – not to be worn in the water
- Hand sanitizer (small bottle)
To bring out on the ice
- Backpack for your food, thermos and extra layers
- Snacks, lunch, and water bottle or thermos
Keeping yourself fuelled with calories is one of the keys to staying warm and happy. We usually don’t stop for a long food breaks but instead, take several shorter eating breaks so it’s good to bring lots of food and things that don’t require preparation. - Personal medications
- Sunscreen, lip protection
- Optional: insulated lunch bag and heat pack
An insulated lunch bag can be a nice option for storing food, beverages, medications, phone, and any other items you don’t want to freeze out on the ice - Optional: Pencil and notepad / book
- Optional: Camera or action cam
- Optional: Sunglasses or prescription glasses with strap
Clothing to wear for ice immersion sessions
We provide an ‘immersion suit’, please wear/bring these items to go along with it:
- Synthetic or wool long underwear top and bottom
- Synthetic or wool winter socks
- Thick fleece top, wool sweater, or synthetic ‘puffy’ top
- Fleece or wool warm pants (or very thick long underwear)
- Toque (warm hat) X 2
- Neck/face warmer
- Warm winter mitts (these are in addition to the ones built into the suit )
- Winter boots or footwear (depending on the suit, you can sometimes wear these over top or inside)
Clothing for your travel to and from the course
- Change of clothes and winter boots for your way home
- Gear bag to store your equipment for transport
Clothing for OPTIONAL ‘no-immersion suit self-rescue’
At the end of the session, you’ll have the opportunity (100% OPTIONAL) to experience going into the ice water with no immersion suit and rescuing yourself. (Your instructor will be right there and closely watching you if you need a hand).
You’ll wear a PFD (flotation device), which we provide, and ‘street clothes’ or base layers.
If you’re considering doing this, please bring:
- An set of street clothes or base layers which will get soaked (these could be the clothes you start with under your immersion suit…since we’ll be done afterwards)
- A bag or container to transport the wet stuff in afterwards
Optional: any other outdoor gear or work clothes you want to try falling in the water with (examples: xc-skis and poles, snowshoes, work coveralls, winter boots or ski boots, snowmobile suit and helmet, etc.)—keep in mind these will be soaked afterwards)
COVID Guarantee: Change your date or transfer to a friend for free. Read our cancellation policy
Have a private group?
Contact us to book a group of family & friends, colleagues, or youth for a private or customized session for up to 10 participants.
Upcoming Ice Safety 1-Day Workshops
The instruction was top notch. They created a great learning environment and realistic scenarios that helped me imagine myself in... read moreThe instruction was top notch. They created a great learning environment and realistic scenarios that helped me imagine myself in an actual rescue. Thanks Danny and Mike. read less
The Whitewater Rescue 4 day Course will blow your mind, you learn SO much!! Julian was my instructor, he is... read moreThe Whitewater Rescue 4 day Course will blow your mind, you learn SO much!! Julian was my instructor, he is SO GOOD at what he does.
Klade Kerr 17 Jul 2020
You won’t regret taking the course. Everybody at Boreal is so accommodating and understanding. My course was a socially-distanced one, after the Covid restrictions lifted. Everything still worked out very well with the covid protocols in place.
I highly recommend this course to anyone read lessThese guys are tops - they know their material, and keep up a great level of energy (even when freezing... read moreThese guys are tops - they know their material, and keep up a great level of energy (even when freezing cold and raining). My 14 year old son was as interested and engaged as the dads in the crew, as were newer and more seasoned paddlers, and everyone in-between. Will be back for more certs. Thanks Danny & co! read less
Shaughn McArthur 06 Jul 2020Une super expérience d’apprentissage autant utile qu’intéressant! Raph et Francis savent de quoi ils parlent et partagent leur connaissances dans... read moreUne super expérience d’apprentissage autant utile qu’intéressant! Raph et Francis savent de quoi ils parlent et partagent leur connaissances dans une ambiance très décontractée sans manquer de rigueur!
Formation vraiment trippante!!!
On se voit dans un peu moins de 3 ans😉 read lessJust finished a Boreal River WFR recert. They are working really hard to follow every Covid protocol. Course was 4... read moreJust finished a Boreal River WFR recert. They are working really hard to follow every Covid protocol. Course was 4 days and I can honestly say, not once would there have been exposure even if everyone else had Covid. I was masked and wearing goggles, 6 ft apart and outside the whole time. Plus we never touched anyone else's gear or mannequins.
Yes I did find it more challenging to be using a mannequin with feedback coming from a live "victim" 6 feet away, but it works. read lessThree of us who are « bubbled », my husband, me and our dear friend, took the 2-day Wilderness First... read moreThree of us who are « bubbled », my husband, me and our dear friend, took the 2-day Wilderness First Aid course in Masham. Because we are in a pandemic, the instructor Danny took every precaution to ensure we stayed safe. He was extremely creative to ensured we had a very thorough course while practicing physical distancing. It was very impressive. Thank you! read less
Just finished WFR with Boreal River Rescue. The course exceeded my expectations in all respects. Absolutely amazing coverage and discussion... read moreJust finished WFR with Boreal River Rescue. The course exceeded my expectations in all respects. Absolutely amazing coverage and discussion on all the content, fantastic labs (like cleaning very dirty "wounds" cut into real chicken legs), great demos and repeated practice with many different tools and techniques (splinting and beyond), amazing range of scenarios held on site in the nearby field and woods complete with fake blood and multiple victim crash sites... I cannot praise the breadth and depth of the material covered or the variety of lessons incorporated enough. Due to covid we had all our classes, labs, and scenarios outside, wearing masks, and respecting 2m distancing at all times. Did this put a damper on the course? NO! Danny, head instructor for this session, was amazing. Our class used full-size PVC pipe manikins to use in place of real people for many of our exercises. It was an excellent fun learning experience. Some of the participants were current fire fighters, ambulance attendants, and even an emergency room doctor. Highlights included being video taped in the middle of our rescue scenarios and repeated thoughtful constructive criticism on how to self-reflect and learn from each and every aspect of the course. Thanks, BRR! read less
J'ai suivi les cours de Wilderness First Responder et de Ice and Safety Rescue avec Boreal River. En comparant avec... read moreJ'ai suivi les cours de Wilderness First Responder et de Ice and Safety Rescue avec Boreal River. En comparant avec les autres compagnies et écoles de formations avec lesquelles j'ai fait affaires par le passé, je peux dire que Boreal River se distingue nettement grâce à l'excellence et au professionnalisme de ses instructeurs, à la rigueur des contenus enseignés et aux simulations pratiques "hands-on" qui ont lieu tout au long des formations. Plus précisément, le talent pédagogique légendaire du fondateur Danny Peled est l'une des raisons pour lesquelles j'apprécie tant Boreal River! Vous ne pouvez pas vous tromper en faisant affaire avec eux. read less
Took the 2-day Whitewater Rescue course and was thoroughly impressed! High quality instructor and training - I learned a lot... read moreTook the 2-day Whitewater Rescue course and was thoroughly impressed! High quality instructor and training - I learned a lot and had a ton of fun! Lots of time spent on the rapids with realistic training and simulations. Would highly recommend! read less
Robyn Stevens 16 Jul 2018Re: Boreal's Wilderness First Responder 3-day recert course: Danny & Trevor did an AMAZING job... TRULY. Hard... read moreRe: Boreal's Wilderness First Responder 3-day recert course: Danny & Trevor did an AMAZING job... TRULY. Hard work, hands on, creative, challenging, and highly recommended. I always feel well trained and competent after being through Boreal's courses. read less
I cant say enough positive things about this course, and the company. They are engaging, and highly knowledgeable. ... read moreI cant say enough positive things about this course, and the company. They are engaging, and highly knowledgeable. I am looking forward to taking more courses! read less
R. J. Wall 05 Aug 2020Incredibly thorough and practical rescue course. Instructors are knowledgeable and very hands-on. I always come away with more confidence and... read moreIncredibly thorough and practical rescue course. Instructors are knowledgeable and very hands-on. I always come away with more confidence and skills in whitewater. I'd recommend this course to all whitewater kayakers of any level. read less
Olivia Perryman 04 Sep 2020Great instructors-Ben & Ian are fantastic educators. It was a steep learning curve (for me) and they were patient with... read moreGreat instructors-Ben & Ian are fantastic educators. It was a steep learning curve (for me) and they were patient with everyone’s questions, clear with the answers. They made us work really hard every day and I loved every minute of it! read less
Felicia Feather 05 Jul 2018I took the two day ice rescue safety course, the instructors where friendly and knowledgeable and the experience was invaluable... read moreI took the two day ice rescue safety course, the instructors where friendly and knowledgeable and the experience was invaluable for working on sea ice in the Arctic! read less
This is the second time I am taking the WFA course and every time it is on point! Danny explains... read moreThis is the second time I am taking the WFA course and every time it is on point! Danny explains the topics in an clear and fun way, which makes it way less stressful to anticipate an emergency situation from the get-go. Even with a covid context, it was easy to learn and scenarios were well-planned out. I highly recommend them!😁 read less
Contact
Canada & U.S. : 1 866 242 9383
International: +1 514 475 7039
Fax: 1 866 533 7694